Our weather isn't permitting me to go for my traditional "Christmas Day Bike Ride" this year - unless I can put some chains on my tires.
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| If you're cold, they're cold. . . Bring them inside! |
So I'm reflecting a bit on Ghosts of Christmas Past as I sip some coffee and watch the retro-kids enjoy their new presents. It won't be long before I'll be busy preparing for visiting in-laws, so I'm making the most of the quiet.
There were no bicycles under the tree this year, though to my mind, a bicycle has
always been the ultimate Christmas present. Little Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun notwithstanding, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Remember ads like this?
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| Merry Christmas from Schwinn - 1972. |
It's been a long, long time since I've found a bicycle under the tree, unless I put it there for someone else. I think the last time I got one was about the same time that little kid in the Schwinn ad was pouncing on his new Sting-Ray. Even though I'm long past getting bikes for Christmas, my "second favorite" present these days is a gift card from the bike shop.
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| Always the right size and the right color. |
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| And I don't think it was meant as a joke. |
There seems to be bit of a stigma among some people about gift cards as being "impersonal." That attitude might be changing, but to my mind, whether a gift card is a thoughtful gift or a thoughtless one depends on one simple and obvious distinction: did the giver actually
think about what they were giving? I mean, isn't that true of
any gift? Seriously, I could fill a couple of closets with all the useless "thoughtful" gifts I've gotten over the years -- perhaps the epitome of which would be the fish broiler basket for the grill, made particularly useless by the fact that it's no secret that I absolutely
hate fish. Believe it or not, I've actually gotten
two of those.
Sure, gift cards can be impersonal or thoughtless. It isn't uncommon for me to clean out a drawer and find old unused gift cards that I've totally forgotten about. Cards for restaurants that I hate, or that don't have a location anywhere near my home. Or for stores that I
never visit. But a card from the bike shop? I'll
always find a good use for that. New gloves, tires, or tools -- there's always something I'll find that I need and will use.
It's not quite as exciting as finding a beautiful gleaming bike beside the tree - but in practicality, it's pretty close.
Wherever you are, I'm wishing you the best that the holiday season can bring you!
